Machine Gun Kelly – Bloody Valentine

Machine Gun Kelly seems to have taken a leaf out of Yungblud’s book. The two have collaborated previously, and delivered many an energy-saturated live performance of I Think I’m OKAY, and now MGK’s latest release, Bloody Valentine, is full to the brim of the same kind of joyful energy as Yungblud’s latest release Weird!. The songs are by no means similar – Yungblud’s is vaporwave synth-pop, MGK’s soaring arena rock, but they’ve got the same sunnily passionate vibe, and we’re loving it.

Opening with an upliftingly fast pace, the track propels you through its verses into a chorus that’s so mid-2000s singalong banger that it’ll have you grinning ear to ear and singing along every word on the second listen. Lyrical nuggets that are instantly memorably and nostalgic in their simplicity, like “I’m ready to die holding your hand” and “let’s play pretend and treat this night like it’ll happen again”, followed by anthemic ‘na na na’s give the track a comforting quality even as guitars thrash around you.

Bloody Valentine comes out ahead of MGK’s new album, Tickets To My Downfall, and it’s a promise of a shining follow up to last year’s Hotel Diablo. If we’re hearing bangers anywhere near as bright as My Bloody Valentine, it’s certain to be gold.My Bloody Valentine is out now.